2004 Descendants de J. Palacios, Bierzo Pétalos:Smells like a tannic cabernet franc (but without any herbaceous quality); rich in the mouth with black fruit flavors, some earth tones and a good shot of tannin; medium length, somewhat tannic finish. Shows youthful and undeveloped but with good fruit and structure and I like the flavor profile. About $16, and could use a couple years in the cellar.

2000 Nikolaihof, Riesling Smaragd Im Weingebirge:Expansive pineapple-ginger nose with lots of stone/mineral scents but no petrol tones; also expansive in the mouth with a juicy acidic backbone, good depth, some nuance and excellent balance; medium length, mouthwatering finish. A wine of power and finesse in its toddler years. 12.5% alcohol and about $35, on release.

1998 Hamacher, Pinot Noir:Developed pinot nose with soy, earth, underbrush and red fruit; younger on the palate with medium weight, solid acids, flavors that follow the nose, pretty nuance and good balance; medium length, strongly flavored finish. A wine of finesse and backbone; not anywhere near its peak but charming and interesting, at the moment. About 13% alcohol and about $30, on release.

Thanks for your many notes on the Palacios Pétalos. Bierzo is a region I'm interested in exploring -- I've only tried a few so far -- and in service of this goal, I'm actually buying several bottles of the 2004 Pétalos today, though as per your recommendation, I suspect I won't open them until 2008 or 2009. It's nice to be able to find a Bierzo that's affordable, not overly manipulated, and carries the Florida Jim® seal of approval.

Bruce K wrote:Thanks for your many notes on the Palacios Pétalos. Bierzo is a region I'm interested in exploring -- I've only tried a few so far -- and in service of this goal, I'm actually buying several bottles of the 2004 Pétalos today, though as per your recommendation, I suspect I won't open them until 2008 or 2009. It's nice to be able to find a Bierzo that's affordable, not overly manipulated, and carries the Florida Jim® seal of approval.

Bruce,
The region interests me as well, especially because of the mencia grape.
If I understand correctly, it is cousin to cabernet franc; judging from the flavor profile, I'd say that's likely.
BTW, recently I tried a wine from the Basque region of Spain made with the hondarrabi beltza grape, also cousin to cab. franc. What was interesting about it was that the fruit was from ungrafted vines, fermented in stainless. So it gives one an idea of what cab. franc and mencia can be under those circumstances.
I'm sure most of the mencia and cab. franc planted today is on root stock so it was nice to get a glimpse of the past lineage.
Fascinating stuff, this.
Best, Jim

That great invention by an American researcher (Dr. Carole Meredith, formerly of the U. of California-Davis), DNA fingerprinting, has now shown that there is no botanical relationship beween mencía and cabernet franc.

There are good Bierzo wines that are even cheaper than Pétalos on the US market: below $16 you'll find Pucho, Luna Beberide Mencía, Dominio de Tares Baltos. For a little more, Bodegas Estefanía's excellent Pagos de Posada.

Victor,
I didn't know Carole had published on that - thanks.
I have had the Dominio de Tares bottom-end bottling and enjoyed it. I'll look for the others - the grape does interest me if its is kept away from (too much) wood.
Best, Jim

The Baltos is, I think, the bottom end bottling from Tares for the US market. Re Carole: no, she didn't do any study of mencía AFAIK. It was the large El Encín viticultural lab near Madrid, which has worked closely with her on a number of projects and uses her methods (as do all the leading labs in Europe).